At the weekend, thousands of people resident in Anambra and beyond, especially those of Umuoji descent, returned home to witness the ‘Uzoiyi festival’’cultural fiesta of Umuoji people in Idemmili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. Our Special Correspondent, Christian Emeka, who was there writes that the festival, which celebrated an over 100-year-old masquerade, has also become a means of preserving the language and culture of Ndigbo from going extinct.
One of the masquarede on parade at Uzoiyi Festival
The Uzoiyi Festival, an artistic heritage of Umuoji, is an age-long event that heralds raining season.
It usually attracts presence of Umuoji sons and daughters from different parts of the globe. Hence it was a cultural galore at Umuoji during the 2015 Uzoiyi festival.
The festivity, as usual, featured masquerades display (mostly represented in different kinds of animals) and cultural dance drawn from the 23 villages in the community.
Among the masquerades were Ezenmou (the oldest masquerade in Africa) which is 101 years old; Anyinya (horse); Aja-Agba-agu mgba (lion); Akum (hippopotamus); Atu (a tropical animal); Agaba (the strongest); Nnyawulu (camel); Akwugo (king of masquerades); Obammili (a monster); Nkenekwu (Reindeer, a hermaphrodite animal); Aguiyi (crocodile); Onoko (donkey); Afuekwe (seen is believing); Eze-odezuluigbo (the world renowned Monarch); Ugo (Eagle); Enyi-Nnunnu (ostrich); Okpoko (a huge bird which makes lots of noise on its way); Ochammili (Giraffe); and others.
The festival incidentally marked the 101 anniversary of the Ezenmou Umuoji masquerade. Ezenmou, was founded in 1913 but made its first appearance at Enugu, during the official celebration of the January 14th amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Nigerian Protectorates.
The festival is an annual event and celebrated every March as a means of heralding farming season. The Uzoiyi festival has many parts including one aspect of the culture of Umuoji Igwulube Okodu people, aimed at commemorating the Ideakpulu River, believed to inhabit gods, the regulator of rainfall during farming season.
Farmers mark the age-long festival on week days as announced by the Chief Priest of the Idemili Oracle but as the days for the subsequent celebrations became inconsistent and as more people identified with the festival, a date was set for the festivity.
That memorable date for the celebration is first Uka Afor (first Sunday in the month of March corresponding with Afor market day) irrespective of the world calendar.
So, the festivity was witnessed by a mammoth crowd of spectators and participants from all walks of life including the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief Victor Umeh; the Anambra State Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Chief Tony Onyima who is also from the town; among other personalities.
The state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Chief Tony Onyima, disclosed that the masquerades featured in animal form portends that before now, Umuoji people were predominant hunters and farmers.
Onyima, who extolled his people for keeping Igbo culture and tradition in the limelight, noted that Governor Willie Obiano was committed to keeping African Culture alive.
On his part, the sponsor of the 2015 Uzoiyi festival, Chief Celestine Olisa Aniuno of the Oliswarren Group, described the celebration as an aged-long event which would never go into extinction from generation to generation.
Ochudo Umuoji, the chieftaincy title of Aniuno who incidentally was the sole financier and sponsor of Uzoiyi festival (in 2013 and 2014 respectively), announced N1.5 billion launch of what he termed “Umuoji Economic Development and Rural Trust Fund” aimed at industrialisation and empowerment of his people for wealth creation, self-sufficiency and employer of labour.
Aniuno who stressed that the festivity was a vehicle to showcase the Africa’s rich cultural heritage and tradition, noted that Umuoji is a home of hospitality, accomplished and embedded with much tourist attractions and natural endowments, and called for co-operation among the indigenes of the town.
Declaring the ceremony open, the Igwe of Umuoji, Igwe Cyril Enweze (Ebube Igwulube Okodu) thanked God for bountiful harvest granted to the community last planting season, even as he prayed for long life and prosperity of his subjects.
The Igwe commended Governor Willie Obiano for his impact on the community.
On his part, Hon. Ikem Ike Obi, the Chairman of Idemili-North LGA, said his administration was determined to make Uzoiyi gain an international recognition, while disclosing the council’s resolve to provide all communities under the jurisdiction with social amenities.
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